Method of reclaiming waste



Oct. 21, 1930. E. s. PEARCE I METHOD OF RECLAIMING WASTE Original FiledDec.

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Oct. 21, 1930. E. s. PEARCE METHOD OF RECLAIMING WASTE 2 Shets-Sheet 2Original Filed Dec.

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Patented Oct. 21, 1930 and reclaiming the old or used oil for UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE EDWIN S. PEARCE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOBTO THE AMERICAN LAUN- DRY MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ACORPORATION OF OHIO METHOD OF BECLAIHING WASTE Original applicationfiled December 3, 1925, Serial No. 72,977. Divided and this applicationfled December 27, 1927.

This invention relates to methods for re-' claiming or renovatingjournal box waste, the present application being a division of myco-pending application for a waste reclamation7s7ystem, filed December3, 1925, Serial No. 7 2,9

The general object of the present invention is to provide a simple andeflicient methed for cleaning old waste, both mechanically and byseparation of its oil content, reimpregnating the cleaned waste withfresh oil further use, all in a manner to conserve heat an reduce thefinal cost of the product.

Further objects of the invention are in part obvious and in part willappear more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 represents diagrammaticall a plan view of asystem of apparatus em odying the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectionalelevation thereof on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a detailsectional elevation on the line 3-3, Fig. 1.

The journal box waste to be reclaimed is collected or received insuitable containers, such as metal drums, which are brought to thebuilding marked generally A containing the reclamation plant or systemto be described. This waste is received in various conditions,containing various amounts of oil, short or coarse fibres and foreignmatter. To bring it to nearly uniform condition and open up its textureand fibre, it is first soaked or immersed in a hot oil bath, for whichpurpose I provide a plurality, two bein shown, of hot oil tanks 1, whichare arrange adjacent and in parallel relation to each other with anaisle 2 between them, and which tanks may be of metal, concrete or othermaterial and are shown as extending above the floor level. In said tanksare steam heating pipes or coils 3 connected to supply and return lines4, 5 and at one end of each tank is a drain board 6. Two tanks areprovided because their dimensions can be made such as to accommodate areasonable mass of waste, capable of being conveniently poled or forkedaround by the workmen so as to open up the waste and secure full'fiow ofoil to all of its fibres. In said tanks some of the heavier Serial No.242,946.

opportunity to cool and but little of it gets (1 to drain back into thesoaking tanks.

Adjacent each drain board is a suitable centrifugal extractor 7,comprisin a stationary outer curb or casing in whic rotates a foraminousbasket or container for the waste, the centrifugal effect at high speedcausin the oil to be thrown out from the basket an to be collected inthe curb, from which it is conducted by drain pipes 8 to a sump or it 9,preferably below the floor level, and which serves as a reservoir forthe old oil.

Said sump is heated by the steam pipes or coils 10 that also connect tosupply and return lines 4 and 5. In the extractors 7 the oil content ofthe waste is reduced to a small amount, somethin less than the amountrequired for fresh o1led waste ready for 'ournal box use, so that it isnecessary to ater add a proper quantity of clean oil to bring the oilcontent up to the required amount. More important, owever, the oilcontent at the conclusion of the extracting period has always beenreduced to a definite or uniform standard amount, so that all extractedwaste can be treated alike in later stages with assurance of a standardproduct.

The next step in the process is that of mechanical cleaning, to wit, thefiuifing up of the waste to open its texture and fibres and to efi'ectthe removal of short or coarse fibres and foreign matter. This isperformed in a drying tumbler indicated conventionallyat 11 andcomprising an outer casing in which is mounted a rotatable perforatedbaffled or ribbed drum 11 for containing the waste, and through whichdrum air may be circulated by a fan or any other suitable means, whichair is heated by the steam pipes or coils 12 connected to the supply anddischarge mains 4, 5. As the mass of extracted waste is turned over andover in this drum, the short and coarse fibres and foreign matter, suchas dirt and metal chips, pass through the openings of the drum and arecollected and thereby separated, while the usable fibres are opened upand knotted masses of fibres are separated.

Experience has shown that a standard drying tumbler, such as can beobtained in the open market, will satisfactorily handle the output oftwo ordinary extractors, which is one of the chief reasons for using twotanks 1 and extractors 7 with a single drying tumbler. Such anarrangement keeps all machines busy and requires the minimum number oflaborers.

The product of the mechanical cleaner 11 is clean fluffed waste with aknown small uantit of oil therein less than that required or use lelubricating waste. It remains to bring the oil content up to standard.This is accomplished with a suitable impregnator in which a givenquantity of waste is impregnated with a definite quantity of clean oil.Such an impregnator is indicated conventionally at 13 and may be of thegeneral type shown in my prior patent for methods of and appartus forimpregnating fibrous materials with liquids, granted August 6, 1929, No.1,723,747, to which reference may be had if necessary. The impregnatorconventionally shown comprises two like tanks 14 with both of whichcooperates an inverted piston like cover 15 m'ovable by the swinging arm16 into position over either tank. The cover has an upwardly projectingtubular portion 17 closed at its upper end and adapted when the coverslides down in the tank to sleeve over an upwardly pro jecting suctionpipe 18, one in each tank, connected to a source 19 of suction orvacuum. In one of the empty tanks 14 is placed a proper quantity of thecleaned substantially oil free waste, the quantity being determined bysuitable measurement or weight. By a measuring pump 20, hand operated ifdesired, a proper measured quantity of clean oil is conducted throughthe discharge pipe 21 and through its swinging end 22 or a hose is fedinto the tank. The cover is then applied and by exhausting the airthrough pipe 18 by means of the suction or vacuum source 19, said coveris moved down until it compresses the waste. Further suction etl'ectremoves practically all air and causes the oil to fully penetrate eventhe finest interstices or spaces in or between the fibres. In a shorttime the impregnation step is completed and the finished product may bewithdrawn and packed for shipment. The clean oil charge is, of course,accurately measured so that each ound of the final waste will contain apre etermined standard amount of i vaiee oil. Two impregnating tanks areused so that while impregnation is going on in one tank the other tankmay be emptied and filled with a fresh charge of waste to heimpregnated, thus keeping all apparatus busy with the minimum number ofoperators.

To supply oil as needed to the soaking tanks 1, I have )rovided asuitable pump 23 shown as driven y a suitable motor 24, either steam orelectric, said pump having its inlet pipe 25 extending'to a low level inthe sump and its discharge pipe 26 provided with branches, one for eachtank. Said pump also has its discharge pipe connected to supply old oilto the renovator 27 which may be of any desired form adapted to separatesolid and liquid impurities from the oil and conserve the usefullubricant tor further use. Such renovator, for example, may be of theform shown in my prior patent for apparatus for and method of treatingoil, granted January 8, 1929, No. 1,698,273, to which reference may bebad if necessary. Any renovator, of course, would include in the systemsome storage tank, such as indicated at 28, for containing or holdingthe renovated oil. and would be connected to the steam lines 4, 5 forsupplying steam for heating the oil, it necessary, and for maintainingthe oil supply hot. The clean oil tank 28 is connected to the hand pump20 which supplies oil to the impregnator.

With this system, all parts of the apparatus are proper] balanced andrelated to each other, both in size or capacity and in location. Thewaste progresses through the system by the shortest paths and with theleast possible handling. Heat is always conserved by the storagesupplies both of old and cleaned oil, because when the entire systern isin operation the regular travel of the oil from the tanks 1 to theextractors, thence to the sump, thence to either the tanks 1 or to therenovator 27, and from the latter directly to the impregnator is suchthat only a small amount of the original heat is wasted by radiation.Uther advantages will appear to those skilled in the art.

Sediment may gather in both tanks 1 and sump 9. and in order to keepsediment from accumulating on the heating pipes 3 and 10 respectively atthe bottom of these tanks, I have provided protecting screens 30. Theoil in the soaking tanks 1 is kept agitated by the movement of the wastetherein, while the oil in the sump 9 is kept agitated by the supply ofoil thereto from the extractors and the pump-produced removal of oiltherefrom for delivery to the soaking tanks 1 or to the renovator, or toall three, as will be readily understood.

What I claim is:

1. In the art of reclaiming used journal loox waste, the step of soakingthe waste in a bath of hot oil; and the step of uniformly removing fromthe soaked waste, by the use of a centrifugal extractor and while theoil of the soaked waste is still at substantially soaking bathtemperature, the major part of said oil so as to leave in the remainingfibrous part of the waste a relatively low amount of uniformlydistributed oil.

2. In the art of reclaiming used journal box waste, the step of soakingthe waste in a bath of hot oil to thoroughly heat the oil of the wasteand to add to the waste additional hot oil; and the step of subjectingsaid soaked waste, while it still contains practically all of itsadditional hot oil con-- tent, to a centrifugal extracting operation. tothereby uniformly remove from said waste as much of its oil as possible,the adding of said additional oil to the waste enabling a greater amountof hot oil to race throughthe fibers of the waste during the extractingoperation so that as much ob-' jectionable matter as possible is removedfrom said fibers and carried away by and with the oil and the fibersthemselves are left with a low amount of oil and in a highly heatedcondition.

3. In the art of reclaiming used journal box waste, the step of soakingthe waste in a bath of hot oil to thoroughly heat the oil of the wasteand to add to the waste addi tional hot oil; the step of'subjecting saidsoaked waste, while it still contains practically all of its additionalhot oil content, to an extracting operation, to thereby uniformly removefrom said waste as much of its oil as possible, the adding of saidadditional oil to the waste enabling a greater amount of hot oil to racethrough the fibers of the waste during the extracting operation so thatas much objectionable matter as possible is removed from said fibers andcarried away by and with the oil and the fibers themselves are left witha low amount of oil and in a highly heated condition so that anymoisture therein is vaporizable; and the step of tumbling the extractedwaste to permit the escape of such moisture vapor therefrom.

4. In the art of reclaiming .used journal box waste, the step of addingto the waste additional oil in a hot condition and reducing, by acentrifugal extracting operation, to a uniform and relatively lowamount, the oil content of said waste, said reduction being performedwhile said added oil is still at substantially the temperature it waswhen it was added.

5. In the art of reclaiming used journal box waste, the step of soakingthe waste in a bath of hot oil; the step of uniformly removing from thesoaked waste, while the oil thereof is still at substantially soakingbath temperature, the major part of said all; and the step of deliveringthe oil thus removed, while it is still in a heated condition as theresult of said soaking bath, to a separate oil storage reservoir.

6. In the art of reclaiming used journal box waste, the step of soakingthe waste in a bath of hot oil; the step of uniformly removing from thesoaked waste, while the oil thereof is still at substantially soakingbath temperature, the major part of said oil; and the step of deliveringthe oil thus removed, while it is still in a heated condition as theresult of said soaking bath, to a separate heated oil storage reservoir,in which the oil is maintained in a heated condition.

7. In the art of reclaiming used journal box waste, the step ofinitially heating the waste; the step of removing from said heatedwaste, while the oil thereof is stillat substantially the temperature towhich it was heated by said initial heating, the major part of said oil;and the step of delivering the oil thus removed, while it is still in aheated condition as the result of said initial heating, to a separateheated oil storage reservoir, in which the oil is maintained in a heatedcondition.

8. In the art of reclaiming used journal box waste, the step of soakingthe waste in a bath of hot oil; the step of removing from the soakedwaste, while the oil thereof is still at substantially soaking bathtemperature, the major part of said oil; and the step of renovating theoil thus removed while it is still in a heated condition as the resultof said soaking bath.

9. In the art of reclaiming used journal box waste, the step of soakingthe waste in a bath of hot oil; the step of removing from the soakedwaste, while the oil thereof is still at substantially soaking bathtemperature, the major part of said oil; and the steps of delivering theoil thus removed to, and renovating it in, a heated oil renovator, saiddelivery and renovating steps being performed while said oil is still ina heated condition as the result of said soaking bath.

10. In the art of reclaiming used journal box waste, the step of soakingthe waste in a bath of hot oil; the step of removing from the soakedwaste, while the oil thereof is still at substantially soaking bathtemperature, the major part of said oil; the step of delivering the oilthus removed to a heated oil renovator; and the step of renovating saidoil in said renovator, said oil delivering and renovating steps beingperformed without allowing said oil to get cold after being heated insaid soaking bath.

11. In the art of reclaiming used journal box waste, the step ofinitially heating the waste; the step of removing from the heated waste,while the oil thereof is still at substantially the temperature to whichit was heated by said initial heating, the major part of said oil; thestep of delivering the oil thus removed to a heated oil renovator; andthe step of thereafter renovating said oil in said renovator, said oildelivery and renovating steps being performed without allowing the oilto get cold after said initial heatin v 12. n the art of reclaiming usedjournal box waste, the step of soaking the waste in a bath of hot oil;the step of removing from the soaked waste, while the oil thereof isstill at substantially soaking bath temperature, the major part of saidoil; the step of delivering the heated oil thus removed from saidremoving means to a heated oil storage reservoir, in which said oil ismaintained in a heated condition; and the step of delivering, forrenovating purposes, at least a portion of said heated oil from saidstorage reservoir to a heated oil renovator.

13. In the art of reclaiming used journal box waste, the step ofinitially heating the waste; the step of removing from the heated waste,while the oil thereof is still at substantially the temperature to whichit was heated b said initial heating, the major part of said 011; thestep of delivering the heated oil thus removed from said removing meansto a heated oil storage reservoir, in which said oil is maintained in aheated condition; and the step of delivering, for renovating purposes,at least a portion of said heated oil from said storage reservoir to aheated oil renovator.

14. In the art of reclaiming used journal box waste, the step of soakingthe waste in a bath of hot oil; the step of removing from the soakedwaste, while the oil thereof is still at substantially soaking bathtemperature, the major part of said oil; the step of delivering the oilthus removed from said removing means to an oil storage reservoir; andthe step of delivering, forrenovating purposes, at least a portion ofsaid removed oil from said oil storage reservoir to an oil renovator,said two oil delivery steps being performed without allowing said oil toget cold after being heated in said soaking bath.

15. In the art of reclaiming used journal box waste, the step of soakingthe waste in a tank of hot oil; the step of removing from the soakedwaste, while the oil thereof is still at substantially the temperatureof the oil in said soaking tank, the major part of said oil; the step ofdelivering the heated oil thus re moved from said removing means to aheated oil storage reservoir, in which the oil is maintained in a heatedcondition; and the step of delivering, when needed, hot oil from saidoil storage reservoir to said soaking tank, so that a proper uantity ofhot oil can always be maintaine in said soaking tank for soakingpurposes.

16. In the art of reclaiming used journal box waste, the step of soakingthe waste in a tank of hot oil; the step of removing from the soakedwaste, while the oil thereof is still at substantially the temperatureof the oil in said soakin tank, the major part of said oil; the step oitdelivering the heated oil thus removed from said removing means to aheated oil storage reservoir, in which the oil is maintained in a heatedcondition; the step of delivering, when needed, hot oil from said oilstorage reservoir to said soaking tank, so that a proper quantity of hotoil can always be maintained in said soaking tank for soaking purposes;and the step of delivering, for renovating purposes, at least a portionof said hot removed oil, from said storage reservoir to an oilrenovator.

17. In the art of reclaiming used journal box waste,the step of soakingthe waste in a tank of hot oil; the step of removing from the soakedwaste, While the oil thereof is still at substantially the temperatureof the oil in said soaking tank, the major part of said oil; the step ofreturning a portion of said hot oil thus removed to said soaking tank,so that a proper quantity of oil can be always maintained in saidsoaking tank for soaking purposes; and the step of delivering a portionof the hot oil thus removed to another device without such oil portiongoing through the soaking tank.

18. In the art of reclaiming used journal box waste, the step of soakingthe waste in a tank of hot oil; the step of removing from the soakedwaste, While the oil thereof is still at substantially the temperatureof the oil in said soaking tank, the major part of said oil; the step ofreturning a portion of said hot oil thus removed to said soaking tank,so that a proper quantity of oil can be always maintained in saidsoaking tank for soaking purposes; and the step of delivering a portionof the hot oil thus removed to a heated oil renovator for renovatingpurposes.

In testimony whereof I hereby affix my signature.

EDWIN S. PEARCE.

